Description of Tool or App

Audacity (http://audacity.sourceforge.net)

Audacity, a free Web 2.0 tool, allows the user to record live audio. Audacity then allows the user to manipulate the track, add music or other tracks over it, and convert it into different types of sound files. If the user is so inclined, he or she could convert sound recordings into digital files, remove vocals from a CD track, and change the pitch of a recording. The program also allows the user to use a " record" setting or a "sound activated" recording setting. You can also add effects, such as "fade" and "echo," and you can clip just small sections of songs or pieces of music.

audacitywindow.jpg
From: https://wiki.wooster.edu/display/itdocumentation/Audacity




Benefits of Tool or App
  • Free to download
  • User interface is simple and straightforward
  • User can save in multiple formats
  • Allows for layering of tracks
  • Multiple editing tools
  • User can "solo" or "mute" multiple tracks during playback


Constraints of Tool or App
  • Requires a microphone
  • If recording more than one track, it is helpful to have headphones in order to play the other track to hear while recording the second track
  • Need a quiet place to record
  • Requires a download


How To Use Tool or App

  • Go to www.audacity.com to download the program.
  • Open Audacity and click the red "record" button.
  • When you are done recording your file, click the "stop" button.
  • You can edit your track and export it as any number of types of files by selecting "file" the "export as…".
  • You could then upload this to a website, clip it to an Evernote note, upload to Moodle, etc.
  • See Audacity Help



Original Artifact of Tool or App (created by someone in your house)

This is an example of a three-part layered composition. (This happens to be me playing "Carol of the Bells" on the piano - I recorded each part so it would overlap the others. There is a ticking noise - that's a metronome. The piece is cut short because the whole song was too large a file to upload here.)





Classroom Uses for Tool or App

Student Examples



Teacher Examples

  • Podcast for homebound students
  • Podcast for flipped classroom